Garden of Secrets [36] - Middlemist Red
A.N: Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback and support my loves, it made my whole week, you’re amazing!❤ I hope you’ll like this chapter as well, and please don’t forget to tell me what you think, thank you! ❤
Summary: Patience has its rewards.
Warnings: Regency era society and social rules, some gender specific language and terms, mentions of sex.
Word Count: 4200
Series Masterlist
Rumors were an inseparable part of the ton, and you were well aware of that. Every season people found different things to gossip about and you’d had your fair share of being the subject of the said gossip, so it wasn’t supposed to be this surprising that they kept talking even after you got married.
But it didn’t mean you liked this particular rumor.
This was the second time Lady Whistledown had mentioned just how close Margery and Benedict seemed to be with each other, joking and laughing in the park when they ran into each other and even though you knew it was nonsense, you still couldn’t help the discomfort at the pit of your stomach.
Especially now that you were seeing it happen on the other side of the park.
“If I see your parents, I’ll give them a piece of my mind,” Lottie said, making you turn your glances to her. “They show up and make you feel bad all of a sudden? How dare they?”
“Lottie—”
“And to think they’ve been mean to you all this time?”
Well, what your parents had done was a bit more than just being mean to you, but you weren’t going to correct her on that.
“Simply unacceptable,” Lottie said, pointing at you with the cookie she was holding. “I’ll be with you at all times starting now, so that if they dare bother you again, I can handle them.”
You repressed a laugh.
“Much appreciated,” you said. “But you can’t be with me at all times Lottie, you have a wedding to plan.”
A smile brightened up her face. “I do!” she said. “But nevertheless Y/N, you are alright are you not?”
“Sure,” you said. “We don’t even need to talk about it.”
Lottie took a deep breath.
“I hate to ask, you know I do,” she said. “But have you seen Whistledown?”
Your eyes found Margery and Benedict who looked very much interested in their own conversation, Benedict frowning before he nodded at something Margery told him.
“It’s nonsense,” you forced yourself to say, and Lottie pressed her lips together.
“It is, but…” she said. “You know what? I suddenly remembered I had something to say to Benny, if you’ll excuse me.”
“Wait—Lottie no!” you whispered but she had already walked away from you to Benedict and Margery. Benedict turned to her, and raised his brows at something she said, then quickly bid Margery goodbye and followed Lottie as she started walking towards the street vendor to buy some lemonade while Margery walked to Lucy.
“Y/N,” you heard Anthony’s voice and looked over your shoulder.
“Anthony,” you said. “Hello.”
“May I?” he motioned at the spot beside you and you tilted your head in confusion, then shrugged your shoulders.
“Of course.”
“How have you been?”
“Fine—you never ask me how I’ve been,” you said, confusion laced in your voice. “What is happening? Are you sick?”
“No?”
“Are you dying?” you asked, making him roll his eyes. “It would be very thoughtless of you to die before you spend a lot of years with Lottie as a married couple, she’s very much in love with you so if you—”
“I’m not,” he cut you off. “It’s just that, Benedict mentioned a pair of unwelcomed guests.”
You pursed your lips, trying to shake off the discomfort.
“And?” you asked. “What exactly did he tell you?”
“Not much to be honest,” Anthony said with a shrug of his shoulders. “I don’t know the details nor do I need to. I just want you to know that we’re family, so whatever you need, whatever you want, just tell me, alright? No questions asked.”
You blinked a couple of times. “…Easy as that?”
“Easy as that.”
“I thought you would have a thousand questions.”
“I don’t need to hear a thousand answers to protect my family,” he stated. “You’re one of us now. We will always be there for you, no matter what.”
You blinked a couple of times, the back of your eyes burning as a warmth spread through your chest, but before you could say anything, Benedict and Lottie approached you with the lemonade bottles. Benedict pulled his brows together, then motioned between you two.
“No one appears to be stabbed,” he commented. “Is it snowing in hell?”
“Benny!” Lottie elbowed him and he repressed a grin.
“Just wondering,” he said as he held out the lemonade bottle and you took it from him. “Would you like to walk?”
“I would actually,” you said and took his hand, your heart skipping a beat as he pulled you up to your feet, but he didn’t let go of your hand contrary to before. You repressed a smile, then stole a look at Lottie’s maid before turning to Lottie and Anthony.
“Don’t do something scandalous,” you said with a grin, making Benedict chuckle and Lottie gasp, then you started walking beside Benedict.
“So Lottie finally forgave you completely,” you asked him and he nodded his head.
“Took forever but yes,” he said and cleared his throat. “She did mention that Whistledown piece though.”
You raised your brows. “…Oh.”
“I hope you know there’s nothing like that,” he said. “Margery is a very good friend of mine, not to mention I would never do that to you.”
“No I know,” you said in a hurried manner. “I mean if I’m honest, I didn’t even bring it up because it was such nonsense that I almost forgot.”
Well, that was a complete and utter lie, but lucky for you, Benedict seemed to have bought it.
“Right,” he said, nodding his head fervently. “Of course. Lady Whistledown must be running out of gossip to write about.”
“Yeah!” you forced a dry laughter. “I mean you and Margery? Honestly?”
“Unbelievable.”
You took a sip of your lemonade, then motioned between you two. “Because, you know—we’re married.”
“Happily married,” he added in a haste and you nodded.
“Albeit a bit untraditionally.”
“Well—”
“Your mother assumed I was pregnant earlier.”
Perhaps you shouldn’t have said it right when he was sipping his lemonade because he choked on it, pulling the bottle from his lips and coughing before hitting his chest.
“Oh,” he said, taking a deep breath. “And what did you say?”
“Nonexistent Bridgerton remains to be nonexistent,” you joked and scrunched up your nose. “I just said no.”
“Interesting assumption.”
“Uh huh,” you said. “Interesting and impossible at the same time.”
“I’m quite familiar with that concept,” he murmured and you frowned.
“Hm?”
“Nothing,” he said, clearing his throat. “Let’s go by the river, shall we?”
*
After the park, you had decided to go to your uncle and aunt’s house to spend some time with them and Teddy. Granted you still felt on edge especially because you were very well aware of the fact that both your parents knew about their house, and Teddy living there. When you got off the carriage, you looked around and let out a relieved breath upon not seeing either of them, then made your way to the house.
Thankfully, your aunt had no idea about what happened between Benedict and your father because you had only told your uncle at the night of the ball that your father had shown up.
“I don’t know how you and Benedict did it,” your aunt told you, excitement and pride apparent in her voice as a maid brought you tea and biscuits. “But Sir Henry Granville and Lord Gordon Easton! At my ball!”
“They run in the same social circle, auntie,” you said with a small smile. “All artists do, as it turns out. Benedict introduced me to them.”
“Well everyone in my Social Picnic Club has congratulated me for throwing such a spectacular ball,” she said. “I’ve even heard some say that it would be impossible to top it off, can you believe that?”
“I absolutely can,” you said. “It was a wonderful ball, auntie. You put so much effort into it, and it paid off.”
“With your and Benedict’s contribution.”
“We barely did anything other than inviting some friends,” you said. “Will uncle be at the gentlemen’s club the whole day by the way?”
“Mm hm, he’s with his friends,” she said. “Why?”
“Oh no reason, I just thought I could see him.”
She hummed, looking at you over her teacup and you frowned.
“I know that look,” you said. “What is it?”
“Is this about…” she trailed off. “What was on Whistledown earlier?”
You let out a groan. “Auntie!”
She held up her hands, gesturing surrender.
“It was on Whistledown,” she said. “You cannot blame me for being worried.”
“Just because it’s on Whistledown doesn’t mean it’s the truth,” you said. “In fact, it couldn’t be farther away from the truth. Benedict and I are very happily married, and Margery is merely a friend.”
She raised her brows, taking another sip of her tea.
“I heard that Lady Margery is quite charming—not that she’s anywhere close to you!” she added in a haste. “You are the most charming of course.”
“More like harming,” you mused and she shot you a lighthearted glare.
“Y/N.”
“What?” you said. “Just saying.”
“Benedict is completely in love with you, we all know that,” she said. “The same with you obviously, you are very much in love with him, anyone who looks at you for more than a second could see that.”
You blinked a couple of times, shifting your weight.
“I mean I wouldn’t say—” you said with a nervous laugh. “One could assume it’s not as—”
“Obvious?” she completed your sentence for you and scoffed. “Of course it is. Have you two seen yourselves?”
You cleared your throat, then reached out to take a bite from the biscuit.
“I’m just trying to make sure these nonsense rumors do not affect you two badly, that is all,” she said and you shook your head.
“It’s not—” you started but before you could even complete your sentence, Teddy rushed into the drawing room.
“Y/N!”
“Oh hello there,” you said, opening your arms as he flung himself to you for you to hug him tight. “French lesson is over for the day?”
“Yes!” he said and you pulled back to look at him, then tilted your head at the clumsily tied cravat around his neck. You stole a look at your aunt who looked like she was trying her hardest to keep a straight face, and turned to Teddy.
“What is this?”
“It’s a cravat!” he said, excitement laced in his tone. “Benedict always wears them, did you notice that?”
You bit back at smile. “Oh does he?”
“He does!”
“And now you’re…wearing cravats?”
He nodded, his eyes sparkling.
“I want them in different colors because Benedict has them in different colors, I told uncle and he said he would get me many,” he said. “This is uncle’s as well, you see.”
Your lips curled upwards. “Ah?” you said. “And you chose a green one for today?”
“It’s pale green!”
“Pale green, my apologies.”
“It’s alright, auntie told me it was pale green,” he patted your hand as if trying to console you. “We can learn those together.”
You nodded solemnly.
“That would be wonderful,” you said, reminding yourself not to laugh. “And you chose pale green because…?”
“Benedict was wearing a pale green cravat the other day,” he said, proud of himself for remembering it and you pinched his cheek.
“It looks wonderful on you Teddy.”
“Really?”
You kissed the top of his hair. “Really,”
“He is growing up so fast,” your aunt said, shaking her head with a smile. “I fear I will blink and he will be a gentleman of the ton.”
You let out a laugh and Teddy took a sharp breath.
“Y/N, I will show you my new sculptures!” he said, tugging you by the hand. “I made a dozen of them, come and see!”
“Am I allowed to boast about how I was the first one to see them when you’re a famous sculptor?”
“Yes!”
“I’ll be back auntie,” you said with a grin and stood up, letting Teddy lead you out of the room.
*
You had spent more time in your uncle’s house than originally planned. Your uncle insisted you stayed for dinner, so you sent Benedict a short note to let him know, inviting him as well but he politely declined, saying that he was in the middle of a painting. After dinner, Teddy showed you how he made some of his sculptures the way Benedict had shown him so by the time you left there, it was already near midnight and raining. A carriage went past your carriage a minute before you arrived home, making you frown and look over your shoulder, but you didn’t have the time to dwell on it much before your carriage entered through the gates and stopped in front of your house. The coachman helped you out and you thanked him, then rushed home to get away from the rain.
“Ma’am,” the housekeeper greeted you and you smiled at her.
“Hello,” you said as a maid took your cloak. “Oh I must change my clothes, it’s raining like crazy outside! Is Paula asleep?”
“No ma’am, I’m here,” Paula said as she rushed to you and you shot her an apologetic grin.
“Please tell me you did not stay up for me.”
“Alright, I will not,” she said and you let out a giggle, then started walking upstairs with her.
“I don’t know where this storm came from, honestly…” you mused, turning the corner in the hallway before peeking at the other end of it where Benedict’s studio was, but there was no light coming from there. “Is Benedict asleep?”
Paula didn’t answer you so you turned your head to look at her better.
“Is Benedict asleep?” you asked again, thinking she didn’t hear you and she shifted her weight.
“No he’s not, ma’am.”
You stopped walking, a frown pinching your brows together.
“Oh?” you said. “Where is he?”
Paula averted her gaze, making your frown deeper.
“Paula?” you said. “What is happening?”
“N—nothing, ma’am.”
“No, something is happening,” you said. “What is it? Has he gone outside or something?”
“He’s home, ma’am.”
You narrowed your eyes. “Where?”
“He is still in the greenhouse I think,” she said, still not looking you in the eye and you blinked a couple of times.
“Greenhouse?” you asked, “Benedict isn’t the gardening type, what is he doing in the greenhouse?”
“They went there earlier, ma’am.”
“They?” you repeated. “Who’s they?”
“Mr. Bridgerton and Lady Margery.”
Your head shot up, your heart dropping to your stomach.
“…I’m sorry?”
“Lady Margery came here an hour after your note saying you would be late arrived,” Paula said in a breath, “She left in her carriage just now, but they both went to the greenhouse straight away when she got here.”
It felt as if the hallway was spinning around you, the fire of fury spreading through your veins.
You had to have been an idiot for not listening to Lady Whistledown’s damn gossip, because apparently Benedict wasted not even a second to prove to you she was right. He was in fact sleeping around just as the rumors said, with Margery, right under your nose in the greenhouse he knew you never stepped foot into ever since you had moved here.
You spun around on your heels to go down the hallway where you came from, then rushed downstairs, your heels echoing on the marble floor. You passed through the foyer, then made your way to the back entrance that led to the backyard where the greenhouse was, but before you could reach there, Benedict stepped inside through the door, a look of surprise crossing his face as soon as he saw you.
“Y/N?”
You passed by him without even acknowledging him, your teeth clenched in anger.
“Wait, where are you—?” he started but you stepped outside into the heavy rain, and strode across the backyard, Benedict catching up with you in seconds.
“Where are you going?”
“Greenhouse,” you spat as the lightning struck in the sky and he stopped dead in his spot for a second before rushing to catch up with you.
“No you can’t—”
“Why not?” you asked through the boom of the thunder, “Can I not see your bachelor’s flat you so conveniently and disrespectfully put near my home?”
He frowned as if he was confused.
“My what?” he asked but you scoffed and kept walking, your head almost pounding from anger. “Y/N no, that’s not—”
“I’m such an idiot,” you said, shaking your head. “To think I was telling everyone Whistledown’s gossip was nonsense while you brought your fucking mistress here the moment you heard I would be late…”
“What?” he asked, shock apparent in his voice as you approached the greenhouse and reached out to hold the handle but he grabbed at your upper arm. “Y/N, just wait a moment—”
You could swear your vision went red as you yanked your arm out of his grip.
“You do not touch me!” you snapped. “I never want to see you ever again, do you hear me? I will apply for divorce tomorrow morning, I will—”
You stopped talking the second you slammed open the greenhouse door, your breath getting caught in your throat as you blinked a couple of times, trying to understand whether you were seeing was in fact real.
You had refused to enter the greenhouse just like you had refused to garden when you and Benedict got married and moved here, and before that, you had seen maybe only five greenhouses in total but none of them looked like this. The large greenhouse looked as if someone had plucked it out of a painting and brought it into life somehow, and you felt your body move on its own accord as you took a step inside almost in a haze. It was entirely made of glass with the plants covering the walls –ivy, if you weren’t mistaken- with a sharp arch on the high ceiling. Even under the moonlight, you could tell the various flowers surrounding you were not among those you could find in anyone’s garden, yours included. It looked so magical that for a couple of seconds you could only stand there and stare with your jaw hanging before approaching a Venus Flytrap, still breathing hard.
“I don’t…” you stammered. “What is this?”
“Well,” Benedict said, leaning back to one of the glass walls. “For starters, it’s not my bachelor’s flat because I don’t have one. It was supposed to be a surprise for tomorrow, I figured you could see it better in the sunlight.”
You blinked a couple of times, then turned to look at him. “But Margery—”
“Has been helping me prepare this, along with Mr. Binsted,” Benedict motioned around you. “They know the rare flowers better than I do. I was going to bring you here once it was completed, took more time than I thought it would. I figured since you were outside, it would be easier for the finishing touch. Like I said, I was going to show you tomorrow now that it’s complete.”
You swallowed thickly, all the fury leaving your body as disbelief took over.
“Complete?” you repeated and Benedict offered you a small smile, then nodded towards the center of the glass wall you were close to, making you turn your head to look at the shelf. The lightning struck the sky again, illuminating the whole greenhouse and you took a sharp breath as soon as your eyes fell on the flower.
Middlemist Red.
You had only seen it in the drawings on your plant books, but having spent over a decade wishing you could see it in real life, you would have recognized it anywhere. You weren’t even aware that Benedict had made a mental note of your favorite flower considering you had told him about it only once so many months ago and it was supposed to be impossible to even find it to gaze upon, let alone having it for yourself, for your own greenhouse.
And somehow Benedict had found it and brought it to you.
“It’s not possible,” you rasped out, still unable to look away from the flower. “It’s—it’s impossible to find Middlemist Red, everyone knows that. It’s the rarest flower in the world.”
“I actually sent word around after you told me about it back at the flower exhibit,” he said, making your head turn. “No one knew where to get it but Margery knows someone who knows someone who—well, you get the picture. At first it was just the Middlemist Red, but then we got married and I know you love flowers so I figured maybe you’d like to have all the rare flowers in a place that belonged to you, so…” he motioned around you. “The greenhouse that is.”
You swallowed thickly, still staring at him, both of you completely drenched with the rain pitter pattering against the glass walls.
“It was just a bud at first, the Middlemist,” he added, taking a step toward you. “And apparently you need to be very careful during that period so we had to wait around two months, and they sent it when it bloomed with a gardener who took care of it on the way here, and you obviously would have seen it if you were here so we took it to Margery’s house, and she brought it here and I—”
“You had someone grow the rarest flower in the world and then had it brought here just because I told you it was my favorite flower?” you cut him off, your heart beating in your throat, all your body warm despite the storm outside and he nodded.
“I know you said you wouldn’t garden but when you want to, it’ll all be here,” he said. “I actually have people building a greenhouse back at the country house as we speak, I figured you would want one there as well and—”
He didn’t get to finish his sentence when you rushed into his arms and pulled him down to crash your lips against his, standing on your tiptoes. Your head was spinning with excitement, the fire engulfing you in its flames once more like it had when he kissed you for the first time that night. He cradled the back of your head, pressing your body closer to his while you melted into his touch and it felt as if you two were the only people left in the world, as if the storm somehow took everything and everyone away but you two.
But much to your displeasure he pulled back, drawing a petulant whine from your lips.
“I can’t,” he stepped back, making you blink dumbly in confusion at just how tormented he looked. “You have no idea how much I want to but I told you before, I will not touch you until you—”
“I love you,” you cut him off, still trying to catch your breath and the lightning lit inside the greenhouse once again, letting you see the absolute shock on his handsome face. You tried to swallow the lump in your throat, then shrugged your shoulders.
“I tempted fate just a little too much it seems,” you tried to joke. “I do – I love you. More than I thought it was possible, more than you could possibly know.”
The thunder boomed through the greenhouse and you took a deep breath, nervousness pulsing through you as the words left your lips.
“So, my heart is yours,” you managed to say, shifting your weight. “If you’ll have it.”
Benedict let out a breath, then strode to you to pull you into a kiss, taking your breath away. The feeling was so intoxicating that every single fear, every ounce of nervousness washed away from your mind until the only thing remained was him, and his burning touch, his lips on yours. He lifted you up, letting you wrap your legs around his waist without breaking the kiss and pressed you back to the wall, making you let out a squeal upon feeling the rustle of the ivy leaves behind you, one of the pots slipping a little on the shelf when you accidentally hit it with your elbow.
“No, not the flowers!” you exclaimed with a giggle. “Careful with the flowers!”
“Right, the flowers—” he let out a laugh and turned around with you still in his arms, then laid you down on the floor, his lips brushing yours again. You pushed his drenched shirt off of his body, dragging your fingertips over his chiseled torso, the fire of desire burning through your whole body. He looked so mesmerizing under the moonlight that for a moment you could do nothing but stare at him while he leaned on his forearm, his body covering yours, his hand going to your cheekbone to caress it gently.
“We can stop anytime you want, my love,” he murmured, his words making your heart feel like warm honey in your chest. “You know that, do you not?”
You bit back a smile, then leaned up to brush your lips against his.
“Benedict,” you said, your voice barely above a whisper. “Don’t you dare stop.”
Chapter 37
